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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25797016">Stone Flower</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrdinaryJade/pseuds/OrdinaryJade'>OrdinaryJade</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Au where kagome is the protector, F/M, Fae AU, Fluff and Smut, Slow Burn, inuyasha is half fae, they fall in love on a quest obviously</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:49:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25797016</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrdinaryJade/pseuds/OrdinaryJade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Inuyasha is a half faerie that steals a flower shaped sacred jewel and then needs kagomes help to destroy it. She is reluctant, but they are bound together after she saves his life. More tags to be added as chapters progress.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stone Flower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Inuyasha's feet hit the forest floor, leaving small craters with every hasty step. The stone flower clutched in his hand dug into his palm. He was leaving a trail of blood and he knew it. He could be easily followed.<br/>“It won’t matter once I get out of here,” he mumbled. He forced his legs to run faster, his feet to carry him farther with each stride. He could hear the grass rustling about 50 feet behind him. They must have found him. The barrier was just ahead, but they were closing in fast.<br/>Hopefully they wouldn’t be fast enough.</p>
<p>Only a little farther now.</p>
<p>Suddenly there was a sound of wood knocking against wood. He knew that if he changed course to avoid an arrow they would reach him in no time. He’d run out of trees to leap through.</p>
<p>“Ha. If I have to take an arrow to hide this from you then so be it!” He shouted at them.</p>
<p>He had reached the barrier. The pact kept them from crossing it. He knew it wouldn’t stop them for long. A few days at most.<br/>The arrow was shot. It struck him in the back, searing pain shooting through his every sense. It must have been made of iron, the unmistakable burning sensation moving deeper and deeper into his muscles.</p>
<p>With his last burst of energy he kept through the barrier. Shimmering blue light surrounded him and the arrow. The arrow caught flame and burned away before his body hit the ground of the forest floor. He checked his hand to make certain that he still had the stone flower.</p>
<p>It was safe at least. Covered in his blood, and a little scratched, but safe.</p>
<p>The sunlight was burning his eyes. It was always night in his realm. He crawled under the shade of a big tree, the sun casting a greenish glow on him. He flipped onto his back and stared at the leaves. Maple leaves.</p>
<p>He gave a half hearted chuckle, his voice ringing out through the air and starling the birds. His dad loved maple leaves.</p>
<p>Blood was seeping through his shirt and onto the grass. The iron arrowhead was still burning him deep in his back. He wondered how long he’d feel the pain for. Taking a cautious, yet deep breath he brought himself to his feet, gripping the tree to steady himself.</p>
<p>“I can probably make it a little farther before I die from my wounds,” he said to himself. He wasn’t so sure it was true but he wanted so desperately to believe that it was.</p>
<p>He took a few hesitant steps.</p>
<p>He made it half way across the clearing before his legs gave out underneath him. Crumbling to the grass, he tucked the gem inside his shirt. Nobody would want to search the dead body of a half-fairy. At least if it was buried with him with it the scent of grave soil would keep the others off of it for a few hundred years.</p>
<p>“I did what I could mom. Sorry I could only take it so far.” He said. His vision blurred and darkened and he slipped hastily into unconsciousness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kagome gathered up her mothers bow and arrows. Her sword was strapped to her hip. The hem of her dress still had dried mud on it from the river earlier. At least it wasn’t still wet.</p>
<p>She thought back to the scuffle with a few minor demons earlier that day. After slaying on of them, the other had thrown her into the river. On her way down and into the water she managed to shoot an arrow right between it’s eyes. It didn’t prevent her from getting soaked to the bone though.</p>
<p>Her small hut was mostly empty except the mat in the corner and small statue and bowl for offerings near the door. She only ever slept here, so it didn’t matter much if it was full or empty.</p>
<p>She began her walk to the gates. The rain had begun falling, and the dark cloud above the forest had only grown larger. She sensed something nearby. Something with a large and strange aura. One that she did not recognize.</p>
<p>The sun was setting over the ridge by the time she reached the gates. Fewer people were out now that it was evening, most of them done with their work for the day. </p>
<p>Her bare feet carried her through the grass and rapidly forming mud. Over the rough wood of bridge, and then finally into the forest. Her brow twitched in irritation at getting soaked for the second time in one day.</p>
<p>Walking with light feet, careful where she was stepping, she entered the woods. The rain was still coming down hard. The dark aura she sensed was getting closer. Kaede was right, there was something strange going on in the forest.</p>
<p>Kagome couldn’t hear any birds.</p>
<p>She pulled her bow off her shoulder, and prepped an arrow as she crept further towards the aura she felt.</p>
<p>Soon she came across a clearing. Whatever (or whoever) was here she knew it would be in this clearing. As if there was a dome surrounding it, no rain fell inside. All the droplets stopped short a few feet in the air.</p>
<p>Before she entered she peered around. Fear crept into her heart slowly. She could feel her palm sweating on her bow. Something was drawing her towards the clearing, she wasn’t sure if it was an enchantment, or Kaedes words echoing in her ears. Thoughts of entire villages of people vanishing somewhere across the mountains. She shuddered lightly.</p>
<p>She crossed into the clearing. Her hair was soaked and the cloth of her dress stuck to her skin. She raised her bow, ready for anything to appear in this strange space. Taking a few short steps she saw something out of the corner of her eye. It wasn’t the same shade of red as the windflowers that dotted the grass. It was a deeper, with gold lining.</p>
<p>She stepped towards the shape in the dark. The sun had fully set now, leaving her eyes straining to see. Coming closer, she realized it was a person lying facedown in the grass. Streaks of red had stained his cloak almost a black color. He had white hair that flowed in pools onto the grass around his face.</p>
<p>She let her bow relax a little.</p>
<p>“Are you alive?” She asked the boy in the grass. When he didn’t respond she rolled him over.</p>
<p>She jumped back in surprise. This couldn’t be right...</p>
<p>He had gold and blue marks on his face, and she could see small fangs through his slightly parted lips.</p>
<p>He was Fae, either that or a very pretty demon. Somehow something seemed familiar about him. She took a moment to compose herself and realized she could hear the birds in the clearing. Wind gently blew across her face, but instead of carrying the scent of the windflowers they carried the smell of his blood.</p>
<p>Then he heaved a heavy sigh. He was alive somehow, even with all that blood staining his clothes. She didn’t know fae could be so resilient.<br/>She hesitantly crawled closer, her bow forgotten in the grass behind her.</p>
<p>If the birds trusted him enough to stay in the area, then he couldn’t be too dangerous. Besides, how could she call herself protector of the valley if there was someone who needed help and she didn’t even try.</p>
<p>She undid the tie holing his blue and gold cloak to him. Her hands trembled. She wasn’t much for healing, but if she could at least get him patched up enough to walk she could take him to Miroku when they made it back to the village.</p>
<p>She rolled him back over and noticed a hole in the cloak. Slim yet clean. She pulled the cloak off and tossed it to the side. His white shirt was soaked with blood. There was the same hole in his shirt as well. She’d be willing to bet he was hit by an arrow, but there was no arrow nearby.</p>
<p>She gathered her strength and her energy into the palms of her hands. She hoped this would work.</p>
<p>Pressing her hands into his back she let her energy release into him. Green light surrounded them for a moment. He started to tremble in the grass, a light groan escaping him. She pressed on. The wound wouldn’t close. Through the light she saw something shimmering in his back. She realized suddenly that it must be the arrowhead. She ground her teeth and focused all her energy on it. As the arrowhead was slowly being pulled out of his back his own body was healing the space it had occupied. With a final heave it slipped out of his back fully, into the air about an inch and then Kagome grabbed it before it could touch him again.</p>
<p>“There,” she said, “all patched up. That spot will be really tender for the next few days so avoid getting shot again if you can.” He didn’t respond. He may not be awake but at least he wasn’t bleeding anymore. She rolled him back over, and with much of her energy spent she wiped her forehead with her sleeve. She sat down next to him, waiting to see when he’d wake up.</p>
<p>It felt like hours passed before his eyes began to flutter open. He didn’t take notice of her at first, either that or he just chose to ignore her for a moment.</p>
<p>He pushed himself up to sitting. He looked startled, uneasy. He patted his shirt and seemed to sigh in relief.<br/>Then he turned his eyes to Kagome. Upon seeing her, he jumped to his feet. Obviously it was a bad idea, because he crumbled to his knees seconds after.<br/>“Damn, I still can’t move right,” he muttered to himself.</p>
<p>“My friend is a much better healer then I am, if you want you can wait for him.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine. I don’t need you to heal me, and I certainly don’t need your friend,” he growled. He watched her hand twitch towards the sword strapped at her waist. “So you’re willing to slay someone you just healed? Humans disgust me.”</p>
<p>“I did you a favor!” She yelled suddenly, “If it weren’t for me you’d still have that iron arrowhead in your back.”</p>
<p>She held it up for him to see, and he jumped back, startled.</p>
<p>“You removed it from me?” He asked. Anger seeped into his voice.</p>
<p>Suddenly Laila wondered if she’d done something wrong. “Yes. I did. Your body wouldn’t heal unless I did.” She watched him dig his claws into the grass beneath him. He then knelt in front of her and bowed his head. He muttered something softly and a soft pink life enveloped the pair.</p>
<p>“I am at your service then. By the laws of my people I owe you a debt. Until I repay it I am bound to you,” he said through gritted teeth. The gold markings on his face glowed brightly for a moment and then fell away into the air. Before her eyes they became long strange of golden wire, wrapping themselves around her wrist of their own accord. She was stunned into stillness.</p>
<p>She reached for her sword, and made a motion to cut them off her fear penetrating deep into her bones making her stomachs drop. Inuyasha was surprised at what she was doing. Any human would be delighted to know they had that kind of power over him. Their very own Fae to grant any wish or do any favor.</p>
<p>“No mortal sword can cut them now. I’m bound to you, no matter if neither of us truly want it.”</p>
<p>“Then how do I get rid of it?” She asked, her eyes wide and fearful. She couldn’t be the protector if she had someone bound to her. There must have been some code against it in her oath. But then again, her mother had been married and even had a child and still carried out her duties for several more years before she was slain.</p>
<p>Yet she had still been slain. Saving Kagomes life. The story of her death had been passed through the village until it had morphed, suddenly it wasn’t a story about a mothers love, now it was a story about a curse placed on anyone who took the protectors oath. A curse to be alone in favor of your duties, otherwise you would surely fall in battle.</p>
<p>“I have to complete a service for you equal to what you have done for me. It will be whatever you so chose.” He said. He still couldn’t stand, let alone complete some kind of quest for her before the summer solstice. He would run out of time before he could be unbound. The stone flower hummed in his pocket.</p>
<p>Deep down Kagome knew he was right. She had learned the laws of the fae from Kaede years ago, yet she had never mentioned that they worked in reverse. A favor done is a favor received.</p>
<p>The fireflies had appeared. She had almost forgotten it was so early in the night. The gold band on her arm glinted in their light. She took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“Then we need to get back to my village. The elder will be able to tell us how to break it. Then you can go back to your realm,” And I can return to my duties, and hopefully keep my life. She held out her hand to him.</p>
<p>He didn’t take it. He stood, carefully and on his own. His body trembled for a moment and then went still.</p>
<p>“Are you able to walk?” She asked. He nodded his head not looking at her. She turned swiftly, hoping to regain her composure on the way back to the village. Could he be the dark cloud that loomed over the mountains? Was this her fate? To seal him to her and to die to the curse her mother left behind?</p>
<p>“You aren’t wearing any shoes.”</p>
<p>She turned back to him and stared blankly for a second. He was staring at her feet, dirty and bruised peeking out from under her dress.</p>
<p>“I find them uncomfortable,” she said simply. With that she turned back around and walked swiftly out of the clearing and into the rain</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This will be a series, hopefully updated frequently. Don’t worry, it won’t be 50 chapters long. I’m not sure how many chapters it will have just yet as I haven’t finished finalizing the plot details. Anyway, if you find something that doesn’t make sense leave a comment and hopefully I’ll be able to fix it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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